One of my favorite characters was Charlie. He was so pure and adorable. I loved how he was so passionate about his work and although we don’t see it, I count his storyline a HEA for little Charlie baby.

The premise of this book was interesting to me, but it was a bit too slow paced for my enjoyment. I also thought the Romeo and Juliet thing was laid on a bit too thick especially early on. There isn’t much romance in this book and what little there is moved pretty fast. This story truly centers around Aunt Flo (this name choice made me giggle a bit) and the bookshop more than anything.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the cozy vibe of this book and all the minor characters where really flushed out. The romance element was good with the Romeo and Juliet trope. I just feel like the ending was rushed and felt abrupt.

i started reading this and i feel like it was dragging on, to keep me engaged in the book i had to force myself to read, i did not enjoy this and i feel like it was more fast paced i would've liked it. it just felt it kept repeating over and over and it just felt like the plot wasn't advancing and it just wasn't getting anywhere. i appreciate so much being approved for this book, so thank you NetGalley and thank you Avon for letting me read this

The Battle of the Bookshops had all the ingredients for a charming read: a quaint small-town setting, a budding romance, and a quirky premise involving rival bookstores. Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. While the concept promised a cozy, bookish escape, I found myself disengaged from the story and its characters.

The Romeo and Juliet comparisons were initially a cute nod, but as the story progressed, they became overly heavy-handed. The constant reminders of the “star-crossed lovers” dynamic took away from what could have been a more organic development of the romance. The characters themselves lacked the depth and charisma needed to carry the narrative. I wanted to root for them, but their decisions often felt contrived, making it difficult to connect or empathize with their struggles.

On the plus side, the small-town charm and the backdrop of battling bookshops added a layer of whimsy. However, even that couldn’t save the story from feeling predictable. The plot twists were telegraphed miles away, and while the writing was easy to read, it lacked a distinct voice that could make it memorable.

Overall, this is a book that will likely appeal to fans of light women’s fiction or those looking for a breezy, undemanding read. For me, though, it left much to be desired. I appreciate NetGalley for providing the e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

You’ve got mail is one of my favorite movies so I thought I would love this book. Sadly I did not.
The last witch mystery was interesting but felt like it should have been its own story.
Also every time I read Aunt Flo I thought of my period tracking apps

A crafty retelling of Romeo & Juliet set in a small, seaside town with two families battling to be the last bookshop standing. In a time of family need Jules Capelthorne leaves her publishing job in London to return to the small village she called home. The Capelthorne Bookshop run by her great-aunt Flo is on the verge of closing due to bankruptcy and leasing complications. There is also a new bookshop on the block run by no other than the son of her family's rival, Roman Montbeau. With the Montbeau's seemingly unlimited assets Jules is starting to loose hope for the future of the bookstore she has grown up in and loved her entire life. However, she is not willing to give up without a fight, and it doesn't help that the competition is easy on the eyes.

This is a very cute, cozy story that has so many fun, hidden elements, perfect for fans of Shakespeare! The setting and sub-plots make it easy to get wrapped up in the story and the characters are truly lovable. While the love story was kind of insta-love the banter and competition make this a very enjoyable rivals to lovers.

I liked the premise of a bookshop rivalry. And while I liked the characters and the bookstores, I found it hard to invest in this story.
I just wanted a little bit more. I liked the Romeo & Juliet premise. And I wanted to visit these places. But just wanted a little more depth from the characters.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

I loved the premise of this book and the nods to Romeo and Juliet. The description of the town and the area was pleasant, and all the talk of books was fun. However, the characters fell a little flat for me. The secondary characters only showed up when they had a direct connection to move the plot along, otherwise they are almost never mentioned, so it didn't feel very realistic. Also the pace of the book seemed to drastically change at the end, and what had been a slow (but not un-enjoyably so) build up culminated in a fast wrap up that seemed rushed an not overly satisfying. I would still recommend it to readers who like fiction about books/booksellers, but I was left wanting more.

This was an ARC from NetGalley. The plot sounded promising, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in a word of books, add in an enemies to lovers romance. Sadly, I was left feeling very underwhelmed. It was difficult to get invested in the start of the story, and the romance felt very high level. The author never really leaned into the enemies portion of the story, then suddenly they both were head-over-heels in love. The ending came to a slow unmemorable end. Great idea, poor execution. #netgalley #battleofthebookshops #romance#enemiestolover #romeoandjuliet

This was a pretty good romance involving bookshops, an ancient manuscript and cute cottages. It was a little too over-the-top with the last names being similar to Montague and Capulet and a family rivalry that went back centuries.

This book was a little too much Romeo and Juliet retelling for my liking with a sprinkling of you've got mail. I really loved Flo and she was my favorite part of this whole story. Just was hoping for something else.

The Battle of the Bookshops has a lot going for it: an enemies to lovers romance, a nuts and bolts description of making a small bookshop profitable, an found heirloom, and descriptions of small town life in England. However, there is a loose connection with the story of Romeo and Juliet, no tragedy but feuding families, and instead of being an asset to this novel, I found it distracting.

Overworked in a London publishing house, Jules returns home to tend to her 86 year old great aunt. Also returning home at his family’s request is Roman. The battle of the bookstores occurs when Roman opens up a store on behalf of his family as Jules tries to save her aunt’s. Eventually, romance blooms between Jules and Roman.

The best part of this novel, for me, was the descriptions of Jules marketing the bookshop and the discovery of some valuable work long hidden in the centuries old building.

Loved this book!! Engaging from the first page. I could hardly put it down and finished it in less than a day!

There are enemies to lovers tropes that are better developed than in this book. I had a hard time getting invested in the male main character because it was not developed fully.

i am so sad to say i have dnf’d this one and don’t foresee myself picking it back up again :( i believe in this case it was a case of right book wrong time, but from the beginning i was not connecting with the characters after 20%.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book.

The first half of the book felt so slow, to the point I about abandoned it and moved onto something else. The second half, while better, didn't make me feel much better. The premise seemed so good but I don't feel like it delivered on what it promised.

Big city woman whose career is on a downswing goes home to her small town to help ailing female role model whose small business is struggling. Small town rich man, on whom she had a teen crush, opens competing business across the street. This plot is nothing groundbreaking, for sure, but elements like an aspiring antiquarian book expert unearthing an ancestral grimoire, a host of charming supporting characters, and a readable style make it a solid entry in the cozy bookish-themed cozy romance genre, so I've rounded up to three stars.

I initially thought that the Capulet-Montague allusions were cute and clever, but soon found them far too heavy-handed. I wish the author had trusted readers a bit more and not hit us over the head with the Romeo & Juliet comparisons. While I found no faults with the writing style, it also didn't have a voice that stands out at all, unlike some other writers in this genre. I would read more by this author, but wouldn't necessarily seek out every book. Overall, I'd describe it as an enjoyable read that is perfectly fine. It met my desire for a bookish, charmingish, happy light story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Honestly, this one took me a while to get interested in.
But, it’s actually a really wholesome story and I really did enjoy the ending.
I love how the author focused on independent book stores and the importance they have. For one, I love supporting independent book stores, so it was easier to relate too. For two, it just made the overall vibes of the book more charming. The rivalry between the two bookstores was fun, and I liked the banter between Roman and Jules.
The parallels to Romeo and Juliet were interesting to me, but I feel like the chemistry between Roman and Jules was lacking. It felt rushed to me and it didn’t hold as much chemistry as I hoped that it would. I also wish we could have gotten more from Roman’s point of view. I feel like that could have helped in showing the chemistry between the two.

This book was…okay. I was so excited for this book and was so stoked to receive an ARC from NetGalley, so I am disappointed to say it was not all that I had hoped it would be.

Some points of the plot were just so random to me and personally? How hard the author pushed the Romeo and Juliet thing really bothered me. It just wasn’t necessary to make it so repetitive what the last names of the two characters were; The idea that they had warring families was made clear and obvious the first time it was introduced. It also really bothered me inconsistent the romance was. The fact that they got together because the FMC got drunk and kissed him just didn’t fit the plot for me, and it was just not cohesive with the attitude of the characters. I personally was not that drawn into rooting for their relationship and could have cared less if they broke up. Anyway, I give this 2 stars, it could have been so much better.

Are you in the mood for a bookish romcom? Check out The Battle of the Bookshops. It was a great read.